Conveyer.



P. LORILLARD.

. CONVEYER. APPLICATION FILED APR.I6,190P- KENEWED JULY 19- i9I6- &,1,%; I mm Feb. 13,1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I v I I f ve: "M3435 P, LORILLARD.

. CONVEYER. APPLICATION man APR. 16. 1901. RENEWED JULY 19. 1am.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. LORILLARD.

I CONVEYER. APPLICATION FILED APR- Hi, 190?- RENEWED JULY 19, I916- i i l,4t5, Patented Feb. 13,3191? 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- WITNESSES: I 4 THVENTUEQ P. LORFLLARDQ CONVEYER.

AFPLQZJH'FWN FELED APR 36, 1507. RENEWED JULY 19, i916.

Patented Feb.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

lie in. .i...

. n if 'PIERRE LORILLARTJ, PARK, NEW

To all "whom it may concern:

lle it known that l, Pmaar. Lentil/inn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tuxedo Park, in the county of ()range and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of conveying apparatus which is capable of continuous operation in a given direction, being particularly intended to provide an apparatus of this character which may be em ployed to advantage in situations where conveyer of more than ordinary. length is required; A. conveying apparatus con structed in accordance with my iuventlon is characterized by the. division of the complete apparatus into two or more distinct portions or lengthsarranged in series, end

to end, and overlapped or otherwise constructed and arranged at their ends in such manner as to provide for the automatic transference ofthc load from the end of one portion of the apparatus to the ad acontend of the next portion, each oi these port-ions constituting what may be termed.

a conveying unit, that is to say, a conveyer of limited length which is complete in itself in that it is capable of operation independ ently of the remaining portion or portions. Each of these conveying units may have any desired length. within practical limits of construction, and as many 01 them may be employed in series as may be desired, according to the requirements of the situation in which the apparatus is to be used. They may also be of any suitable construction, so long they are adapted to provide collectively a continuous conveyor extend-- ing between the two points to be connected by the apparatus, and in connection therewith I provide means for operating the several conveying units in such manner as to secure a number of useful results, as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a. conveying apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the top portion of the same;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, through a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; i

Fig. Q'is a plan View, partly in. section Specification. at Le tters Patent.

.Ipplitation filed April 190?, Serial lie. 3883.152. Renewed July 19, 15216. aerial ITo. 115,210.

and with certain parts broken away, of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig.1") is a cross section on the line rv-w in Fig. 1;

Figs. (3, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating certain arrangements hereinaftor described. for controlling the operation of the apparatus, and

Fig. 9 is a partly-diagrammatic view illustrating another arrangement of the apparatus.

In Figs. 1 and 2 oil? the drawings is shown a complete conveying unit adapted for transferring freight, baggage or the like in a horizontal direction, together with the ad jacent end portion of another conveying unit which forms the next unit of the series constituting the complete apparatus. This series will ordinarily comprise a considerable number of conveying units, but for the sake of clearness of illustration no other units of the series are shown in these figures, as the construction of each of the units will or may be precisely similar to that of the complete unit illustrated, so that the description of the latter will apply to each of the others.

As preferably constructed, each of these conveying units comprise. a number of parallcl and laterally-adjacent conveyor sections arranged in sets, the sections'ot each set being interleaved between the other sec tions and providing collectively a supporting surface for the load, and the sets of sections being so operated that their supporting surfaces are exposed above one another in sequence and given a limited forward movement in the direction of conveyance while so exposed, followed by a return movement along a path, so that the sets of sections are successirely operative for conveyance and are conjointly effective to transport a load continuously in a predetermined direction from one end of the conveying unit to the other.

\ A conveyor of this type is shown and derelatively depressed sections are located side side; parallel with one another, and are arranged in two sets, the sections .iforming one set and the sections B forming the other set.- Said sectiousA and B alternate in lateral ar angement, so" that the sections of each set are interleaved between those of the other set, and

as many of them are employed as are required to give the conveyer the-desired width, the upper edges oi the SCCtlOIlSOi each set being located in "the same plane and near enough tOgcther to provide collectively a supporting surface which willbe sulliciently continuous to support whatever is intended to be conveyed; The details of the particular construction illustrated are shown in Figs. 3 and 5, according to which each of the sections A is composed of a double line of fiat strips 2 riveted or otherwise secured to opposite vertical faces of the upper port-ions of a number of si1i ')porti11p; posts at and resting at their lower edges on shonlclers (5 formed on said posts. Each of these posts is located in transverse alinenient with the correspondingposts for the other sectionsrr and rests upon and is bolted to the upper edge of a cross b am 8 being recessed either air-of eros-s beams which are carried by the other at its lower end to embrace the same as shown in Fig. There are thus as many cross beams 8 as there are transverse lines of posts a and all these cross beams are sup ported on and rigidly secured to a pair of longitiulinallye:vtcndinp' T beams 10.- Ina precisely similar manner the conveyor sections B are each composed of a double line of strips 23 secured to posts 5 havmgrsupporting; shoulders 7 and otherwise construct ed and arranged like the posts 4-, sa' id posts 5- being supported on and bolted to cross beams 9 which are carried by and secured to a pair of longritudinallwextending thoconvcyer sections of each set are thus rig'nlly ci'innoctial and combined to. form a unitary structure or element. The spacing of the posts which carrv th convcyer"sections such as to pern'nt the sections el -each Set to move treely betwcou those of the other set, in parallelism rhcrcwitln and the cross beams and i.- are located at a suliicient dis tancaparl in the direction of the length of thiictmvcver to permit the relative longitudinal movements thereof whichare herein aft r described. Said cross beams are also an eientlv elevated above the top surfaces of the T beams which carry them, as by means of downwarrllvrxtendEng support- 123 and 13 rcspectivelv. to perhair the relative uping portions nut said i "beams to and-down movements which the operation bringing ofthe apparatus requires 'a'itl'iont be: me into contact with the pair.

Th0.ITtZlZLlJlEGJHOl/Ol are of thrftrm sets. of

-on a rock shaft 20.

" beams 11 lUGzl-iitil between the beams l0, ,i ill- 'all positions emmas conveye'r sections which render them operatire for conveying, purposes are prefer- T beam are connta'toil by a jointed linlv' lb to which is pivoted the upper end of an arm 19 pivotallv mounted at its lower end .lC-ach arm 19 is provided with a roller 21, Fig. -l adapted to bear on the edgeor ram "face oi a cam 22 Seen-red to a shaft 23, which serves as the (lliVi-ng shaft, the can) faces ofthe two rams 22 being identical in contour and in opera-- tive relation to their rollers In like manner, the T beams 11 are supported for longitudinal reciprm-ation on 'four rollers Ql carried respectively by rock arms 25 which are secured at their lowerends to the corresponding rock shafts i7 and connected n pairs by links 2U,-*ach link being pivoted to the upper end of an arm 2'? which is secured at its lower end to the rock shalt E20 and is provided with a roller 2flaulapted-to bca r on the edge of a can) 29 secured to the driving shaft 23. the two cams 2%), like the two rains 22, being identical in contour andv in operative relation to their-rollers. The arrangement of the parts above described is swift-hat all the rock arms 15 are parallel w1th one another, this parallelism being maintainei-l inall positions of the rock arms by'pivotin, g the links 18 thereto at equal dista'ucegvfroin the corresponding rock shalts '17. 'All the rollers 1i are also located at the sumo distance from said rock aha'its, and the rock arms which airry said rollers are inclined somcivhat from a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3, so that they tend to swing downward under the weight of. the parts carried by the rollers 14 and thus to hold the rollers 21 in contact with the :orre spending cams Similarly, the rock arms are arranged in. parallel relation'to one another and so maintained by the links 26,

and are also inclined like the rock arms 15, for the sanie reason and with the saline result. It follows from this arrangement that the rotation of the cause the i'beanis-lO and 11 to rise and fall according to the contour of the cams 22 and 529, while the upper edges or". theronve vcr sections A; and B which are carried by l move,withsaid beams respectively will be kept parallel with. one another and with the heriaonta direction of conveyance in r sections.

driving shaft .xill' The l' beams 10 and 11 are reciprocsted longitudinally on their respective support-- inn rollers by suitable means. best illustrated in Fig. 3 in connection with the beams 11. According to th construction shown in this figure, each oi will i" hoains 11 is reciprocotecl on its rollers 24 b}; means of an arm secured at its low .1 end to a rock shaft 31 and notched at its upper end to receive a lsterally-projecting pin curried by the corresponding 3" beam 17.. There are two of these arms 35, one for each "3 heann and each arm is located at one side of an adjacent cam 29 and is provided. with a. pin or roller 37 arranged to travel in a cam groove 38 cut in. one face of saidv com, the two cam grooves 38 being duplicates of each other and operating in; unison. The parts employed for reciprocating the T beams 10 on the rollers M are duplicates of those described, and comprise two similar or is 30 each pivotally mounted at its lower end on the rock shaft 31 and notched at its upper end to receive a pin 32 carried by the corresponding 'E' beam 10, and also provided with e pin or roller 33 arranged to travel in cam groove 34 out in one face of the adjacent cam 22, the two cam grooves 3%, like the cam grooves 38, being duplicates of each other. The transversely extending rock shafts 17, 20 end 31, as Well as the driving shaft 23,;1re journaletl at their in suit able bearings carried by a stationary firemework herein represented consisting of longitudinally-extcnding side beams 39 sup-- ported at intervals on cross beams .0 which in turn may rest upon any suitable i'oundc tion. i

The parts above described are so proportioned end the several cams and cam grooves are so cut and timed that upon the rotation" of the driving shaft 23-each set of conveyor". sections in turn will he raised to its position of maximum elevation and given at longitudinal movement forwardly or in the direction of conveyance along the rollers which support it at or near the end of which forward movement it will be depressed and then moved back to its first position the ion ward movement of each set 0;. sections being concurrent With the return movement of the other set. Both sets of conveyor sections thus move in like direction along similar closedv paths, the fiat upper portions of which are so determined as to cause the supporting surfaces of the conveyor sections to coincide with the predetermined plane of conveyance when. in the position oi u1sximum eievation, and since this position is always occupied by the forivurdly-inovingsupportingg; surface of one or the other of the lZWO sets of sections, the result is that the loud, being conveyed is PI'OPQElQLl contiiuu ously forward by the alternating action of orior Letters Patent above referred to. l

The construction of convc in unit above described reversible that is to say, the conveying .znit will he operative in either d: -etion according to tie direction in which shaft is rotated, and this is un sdvsntogein many cases, though not ways essential. It is to he understood. howthst my brood invention is not limited to this or any other specific construction, of the conveying units which are employed in my complete apparatus.

The conveying unit of Whicho portion only is shown in Figs. 1?. and 2 has the some construction. and mode of ope 'ation es the complete unit already described, and the nu toinutic transference of the load from one of these units to the other, or from any similar unit to the next in series, when thus constructed. is provided for by interleaving the adjacent ends of the conveyor sections of each pair of consecutive units in such mannor "that the supporting surface of one unit 'Wili overlap the supporting surface of the other unit. finsuch case, assuming that the consecutive units are operating simultene ously and in the same direction, when an jec't which being conveyed reaches the end 01" one or one conveying; units it will he located above one set or the other of the con- .veyer sections of the unit: ahead time when said set of sections is in the dc pressed position, when the letter sections rise and commence their forward movement the object will be deposited upon c them by the downward movement of the conveyor sections on which it has been restingand will he thence conveyed in. a for Ward direction by means of the conveying unit on. which it has just been deposited. According to the construction represented in Fig. 52,, the interlesving of the conveyor sec tions of the two units is eccomplished hy locating the conveyor sections of each unit at such a distance apart that the sections of the other unit may enter and move freely with in the spaces thereby provided, the conveyor sections of the two units being arranged in staggered relation. The extent of the inten leaving of the conveyor sections will usually depend upon the size of the objects intended to Be conveyed, said. conveyor sections being preferably overlapped to such an extent that the interleaved portion of the supporting surface of either unit will provide a sufficient support for the load, regardless of the positions occupied by the conveyor sections of the two units. This arrangement insures the transference the load from one conveying; unit to the next even though said units operated otherwise than synchronously, as hereinafterexplained.

In Fig. have shown in dotted lines a points.

portion of a stationary landing such as is preferably employed at each of the extreme ends of the complete apparatus, for the purpose of facilitating the transference of the load to and from the apparatus at these This landing consists essentially of a grating eomposrl of a series of bars 41 rigidly secured together, side by side, but spaced apart sulliciently to receive freely between them the ends ot? the conveyer sections of the adjacent conveying unit, being arranged in staggered relation with respect to said ronveyer sections and interleaved therewith to a suitable distance. These bars 41 are substantially equal in number to the .conveyer sections; and their uppe r edges are all located in a plane parallel with but slightly below the plane occupied alternately by the supporting surfaces of thetwe.

sets of conveyer sections when the latter are in the position of maximum elevation. The graded landine thus provided supported in any suitable manner and will usually form a conti-muuimi ota stationary platform, and in operation, assuming that the conveyor is hringii-ug; up a load toward the landing, this load will ultimately be supported by one set or the other otthe coilveyer sections at a point/where the latter re interleaved with the stationary bars of the landing, whereupon when said conveyer sections move downward and haclnvard the load will be deposited upon said bars, ready to be removed therefrom by an attendant. Conversely, an object which is placed upon the interleaved portions of the. bars ll will ultimately be picked up by ontvset or the other'of the conveyor sections and will be thence conveyed away as above described.

lVhatevermay be the pa rticular construction or the number of the conveying units which are comprised .in my apparatus, provision is made for actuating each conveying unit separately from or independently ol? the others. in the sense that the operation of each unit or may be ditl'erentiated from that of every other unit with respect to one or more oi such characteristics as its direction, time and speed. This imlividualization or capacity for independent operation of the units is a distiireuishin feature oi my present invention, broadly considered, and may be taken advantage ot. in a variety o'li ways and. with various useful results. For example, provision may be made for start" ing and stopping each unit independently of all the otheis, in which case a given object. or as much ot' a load as can be placed upon a single conveying unit, may be trahs ported from any given point in the length of the complete apparatus to any other given point by causing each conveying unit to operate only so long as the load is resting upon 1t. and to remain at rest at all other tunes, the eonveymg units being operated sequentially. The transportation of the given object or load from one point to another may thus be eitlected without using for the purpose any more power than is required to operate one conveying unit only or at most two adjacent conveying units in case the load rests partially on each oli' them while being transferred from one to the other,-and I am thereby enabled to ettect a greatsaving of power over what has been required for the operation oit prior conveyers. all of which. so far as I am aware have been so constructed that each of them must necessa 'ily be operated as a whole and must thereliu'e require the expenditure of sutlicient power for that prrpose. regardversely, to convey a number of objects or;

individual loads from any given point along the length of the tuiparatus to any two other points located in opposite directions there from.

For operatiiur the several conveying units it will betoundconvenient in most cases to provide ach. unit with. an electric motor and to connect all the motors in parallel oircuit with the sup 'ily circuit which en athem, in which case the operation of the apparatus may be controlled by means of suitable switches included in the branch circuits through the several motors. 'ihe conveying unit illustrated in Fig. 11. is provided with such a motor, indicated at which motor is :arried by "the stationary :lrannavorl; of the apparatus, beneath the conveyor sections, and connected to the driving shaft by means of gearing 43. I prefer to employ tor this purpose a motor which will operate in. either direction, according to the polarity of its circuit terini nals. in which case. the reversal of the direction of operation of the corresponding conveying imit, as well as the starting and stopping of the unit. can be provided for by employing a suitable pole-changing switch :lor controlling the circuit through the n10 tor, similar motors and switches being ourployed vfor all the other conveying 'units/ units C each of which is assumed to be pro- I vided with a reversible motor controlled by intense oted at one end to and insulated froin s.

or through e'supplementary switch he/rel switchboard or other suitable support, in position to he moved into or out of contact with one or the other of a pair of insulate contact terminals and it T here are two of the terminals 4L5, one for each switch arm 44, While the other terminal 46 serves as such for both of the switch arms, hei located between the terminals 45. The arms 44 are compelled to move in unison by means of an insulated link 4i? pivoted thereto, which link also carries an operating handle t8, the arrangement being such that when the handle 48 is ZIZUVQCl sufficiently in one direction one of the arms 44 W ll 1 site contact with one of the router tern sis s5 and the other with the middle ter sl 3J8 while when ssii handle is moved in the opposits direction snitch eri'n 'ch was previously in contact with the terrninsl lfi will he brought into conteet with the other outer terminal to the other swi eh errn will simultaneously melts contact with. ssi-fl terminal 46. Theonter terminals 45. are electrically connected by :1 suitable con.-

.cl uctor ill, and from the terminals 4;) end ll respectively the circuit Wires 50 snclfil lead. to the corresponding motor, either l.1l'9(3i after described. The pivoted ends of the switch. arms are also electric-ell; t

nested by conductors and to the math. feecl wires 54 end respectively the re sult of this arrangement helm that when *5 said switch arms are in either of their con-- tact positions the motor willv rotsite anti the corresponding conveying unit will open in one tiirection or the other. which clirec tion will be reversed when the switch tlft'llS are thrown into the other contest position, while when said switch. arms are in. int n mediate position, or out of contact with. a of the terminals, the cirenit through fl motor will be broken and the motor and its conveying unit will remain at by operating the several switches at the proper times. and in the sequence the apparatus may be caused to conveys load or aseries of loads from any given point.

- in one direction and one or more other loads in the opposite (lirection, without requiring in any case the expenditure of any more power than is necessary for driving tl'iose conveying unit-s Whichnre' Actually opera.- tive in supporting and conveying the loud, or loads.

Assuming that the arrangement of the parts IQPIESGH'EQEl Fig G-is such that each at its lower end bar 5? Nil conveying unit will be operative in that direction toward which its switch has been thrown to close the cira-uit through the cow responding motor, it ill be seen that this figure illustrates a situation in which the central conveying unit of the sei' s will be at resh while the units on both sides of said I be operating toward the such case this teinpomri A idle unit Will SEIW'G a stationary lz'zncling; to receive the loads brought up by the on erative units from one or both directions, its conveyer sections heinginterleavetl with the conveyor sections ct both of the adjacent units and therefore constituting", in feet, the heirs of a relatively iixefl grating such as has been previously described. all switches corresponding to the operative :inits were thrown eve to reverse the Jive n otors, then the zipper-ates would -.entl;v operate to telre up lends pi'uzec snon the end poition or portions the i 2 unit and convey the same away in one or both directions. In either case, the presence of th idle unit permits an attendant to remove the loads therefrom as test as they are brought up, or, conversely, to place loads upon. said uni: in. posit'on to he removed. therefrom by adjacent units- Without being inconveniencedl in so doing any movement of said itlle unit. The presence of such a tsnioreril -siioperetwe it is also desirable WliiZ'iRHE-l two D that no two adjacent switches can he to sense the corresponding; units to operate towsrtl each other. in. the present instnncc thisis accomplished by providing; each of the switches with on sun 56 pivoted st its upper end to the switch he m and carrying letorally therefrom in both directions in the plane of movement of formed on an arc of at circle described from point which the arm 56 is pivoted to the switchboard. All or" the bars 57 are located in the same plane. and each her is of such length that when the switch arms 4% e13 any pair-o1": etljseent switches are in their vertical or open-circuit position the adjacent ends hf the corresponding; bars 57 will he locntecl just outside of the curved paths of THOVEIHQIIi-yfii eacl'nother. '1 hus when any switch has been thrown into, Jone of its circuit-closing positions ti.

5! which is connectstl to e (i said SWlt-fll will adjacent end of "l one of the next V by" anti.

the series said arm, and isswitch.

will therefore be located in such position as to form a stop or obstacle whichiwill prevent the bar carried by the latter switch from being moved toward the first-mentioned This is clearly illustrated in Fig. 6, which shows a condition in which the central switch D is prevented from 'moving in either direction by reason of the fact that the bars 57 carried by the two adjacent switches extend across the path of movement of the bar carried by said central switch, the conveying unit corresponding to this switch being thus caused to remain at rest. As thus constructed, any switch may be thrown .into its opcn-circuit position at any time. regardless oi the position of any other switch, and all the switches may occupy at the same. time either one of'the close dcircuit positions. while any two adjacent switches may also be moyed'at any time in such directions as to cause the cor responding units to operate away from each other, none of the bars 57 being eii'ective as stops except when it is attenipted to cause two consecutive conveying units to operate toward each other, as will be evident.

The'arrangement above described for controlling the operation ot a series of switches is described and claimed in another appli- Cation for United. States Letters Patent filed by me on the 29th day of January, 1907, Serial No. 354,702, and is not of itself claimed herein.

In order torender the conveyor as automatic in its action as possible and thereby minimize the personal attendance involved in operating the various switches or in otherwise controlling the operation of the several conveying units, I prefer to provide each of the units with devices so constructed and arranged that the passage of an object onto and oil a unit will automatically start and stop the same. This arrangement is particularly useful when a considerable number of the units are to be operated consecutively in the same direction and are to be employed tor-conveying freight or baggage, since in such case the operation of the apparatus will be automatically controlled by the movement of the load itaeit throughout the entire travel oi? the latter, at'ter it has once been started, until its landing point is reached. An arrangement for this purpose is shown in the accompanying, drawings in combination with the conveying unit illus 'trated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, in which 58 represents a bar extendingalong the iongitudinal center of the unit from one end to the other, or substantially so, and pivoted to the upper ends oi a. pair of parallel arms 59, said arms being carried by transversely: extending rock sha its (30 located beneath the convcyer sections and journalcd on the side beams 39. The arms 5!) are oi equal length abovc't-hcir respective rot-k shafts, so that the bar 58 islrept parallel with the conveyer sections in all. positions of said parts, {L110 one of said arms 59 is extended below the rock shaft which carries it, as at 61, and'is provided at its lower end with a weight 62 which is suliiciently heavy to overbalance the bar 58 and thus tends to hold the arms 59 in vertical position and thereby maintain said bar in its position of maximum elevation, in which it is located somewhatabove the supporting surface of the conveying, unit. From this position the bar 58 can move longitiulinally in either direction, which movement will evidently carry it downward also, and a spaceis provided between two of the conveyor sections for receiving said bar, so that when it has been mov'cd to a suiiicient extent i n either direction its upper or ge will be flush with the supporting surface of the; conveying unit, to winch end one of the conveyor sections may be omitted, as shown in Fig. 5. As thus constructed, whenev er an object such as a crate (33, for example, is

resting on the conveying unit its weiglitwill hold the bar 58. depressed and will thus maintain the weight 62 at one or the other of its extreme positions, as shown in F1g.-

1 but as soon as the crate or other object passes oil the conveying unit the weight .62 will raise said bar into its elevated position. When in thisposition the bar will be located in the.path of any load which may be movinc toward it along the conveyer, and as soon as such load is carried agalnst either end of said bar it will force the latterforward against the resistance offered by thewcight (32 until the bar has been depressed.

suliiciently to allow the load to pass over it,

whereupon it will remain depressed as above described so long as the load remains upon the conveying unit.- In Fig. 1 the crate [63 is assumed to be moving toward the r1g represented at the left hand end of said figure, so that the bar 58 on which the crate is resting has been pushed toward the right having just left the conveying unit partially.

by the crate and is now being held depressed by the weight of said crate, with the weight 62 at the left hand. limit of its moveirrent.-

If the crate had been moved onto the same conveying unit from the opposite directionthe bar would have been pushed to the) left and the weight. 62 would occupy its). extreme right hand position,'the pivotally-- mounted arms 5!) being swnng'byfan ap proachmp; load in one direction or, the other according to the direction. from which the load is-brought up. The movements oi the parts just described. are utilized for control ling" the driving oi the shaft 23 in such man'- nor as to cause the conveying unit to operate whenever a load is resting upon itandtoy remain at rest at all other times-this being accomplishml in the present instanceb'yi causing the weighted arm 59 to operate a 13c switch interposed inthe (ircuit \vhirh iuchains the motor 42. This su'itrh may he of any snitahle type living herein l'lpl'l seated as romprising tvvo metallic arms vi aml (i5 whirl] are insulateil from each other aial are pivotell at their upper enils to the umler siile of a housing (313 earriul hy the framework of the apparat: beneath the conveyor sertions. These arms are arranged to swing" in vert cal planes. in parallelism ith the Weighted arm 59, to the extension 61 of which th are ('(lilllfllltll hy a link 67 pivoted to the latter anti to an insulating cross har (38 which connects their tree tlltlS, so that they swing in unison with sairl arm 55). At their pivoted ends said arms ill and (35 are electrirally connected rei-aieetively, through their pivots, to Conductors 55) aiul 70 which lead to the terminals of the motor 4:2 which operates the conveying unit. and at the extremities of lhe swinging; movement of saicl arms are located two oorre :oiniiinp; sets of spring' iaiv contacts Tl am? 723, in position to receivethe respertive arms be tween their jaws.

The coniaots "fl and .5 are electrically connected in indepmnilent pairs hereinafter described, and the respeetiw pairs are connected in turn to the two hranches of the supply cireuit, as by condncmrs T3 and 74 leading respeetively to the circuit wires 50 anti 51 which pertain to the corresponding switch llthe iirrange ment being such that Wllll the wei hted arm 59 is in its vertical position the switch arms (5% and ()5 will be out oi engagement with any of the contacts 7'1 and 7:2. so "that the circuit through the motor will he broken and the conveying unit will not operate, "while when said Weighted arm is in either one of its extreme. positions the switeh arms will he engaged with one set or the other of said contacts and the rireuit through the motor will therefore he elosml and the (on- Vlfflllg unit caused to operate.

Two methods of electrically connecting tho contacts T1 and 72 in pairs are illustrated in the drawings. According" to one -1netliocl, which is shown in Fig. 7, the two sontaets 71 are connected by a conductor 75 to form one pair arni the two contacts '72 are'eonneoterl by a. conductor 76 to form the other pair, in which case the (lirection of rotation 01'. the motor 42 will evidently he the same whether the switch arms 64 anti 65 are in engagement with one or the other of the two sets oij'eontaets and Will be con- 1 trolled bv additional means such for @Xanr pie, as one of the switches D. Aecorriing to the method shown in Fig. 8 the diagonally 1 irom one of their extreme positions to are not claimed herein.- ilerstood that the (aparity oi the conveying units to he operated independently may he taken advantage of in various other ways than have been s'nerilhrally (lescrilaal herein, and that many ililierent arrangements may he employed For operating aiul controlling. the units without departing: from, my hroatl invention. For example, in Fig. l have illustrated an arrangenient in 'WllICll tlie' come Eng units are rliii'erenliiateil from one another with respect, to their speeds 0t 0;)- oration for the purpose i enabling a. load to he started at a slow 5} ml at one end of the conveyor and to have its speed progress sively increased until the desired maximum speed is attained aml then progressively climinishecl until the other eml of the conveyer is reached. This arrai'igmnent is particularly advantageous in many cassivhero the apparatus designed to *arry passengers lor a eonsulerahle distance, the reason that it provides for taking on'and depositingthe passengers at a. safe speed without preventing their conveyance from one enxl of the apparatus to the other at a high average speml. The arrangement shown in 9 ('OIZIQE'iSGS a series of coo veying units (7 construrtetl ancl interleaved. at their ei'uls as already described the (lrivingz shaft 23 of each unit. heing' connected. as by pair of interineshing' gears 79 and S() to a main shaft 81 which is common to all l'he anits :llHl is driven and eonizrolled in any suitahle manner. The constitnting iho several pairs are so prog'mrtionecl that the con? U units at the ends of the apparatus are driven at a relatively slow speed, which in practice will he such as to enable. the loatl to ho ti ken-up anti rleposited automatically. while the pairs of which drive the next to the and "units? in the series are proportioned to give said units a speed which is somewhat greater than that of the end units, the difference between the speeds of the adjacent units being ordinarily equal, or approximately so, to the speed of the end units. The speeci of succeeding units in the series may he still further inci'easedin like 111183., While all the units located between is firs; and last nails in the series which ojnerate at the maximal-n speed are driven at the same speed as the latter units and will ordinarily include the greater part of the length of the apparatus, this portion of the apparatus being omitted from Fig. 9 for want of space. As thus constructed, apassenger,for example, will be taken up at one at the desired nraximum speed. As soon as he reaches the erd of this portion of the apparatus his speed will be progressively diminished as he is transferred successively to the last few conveying units of the apparatus, and he will-finally be transported by the last unit at a speed which will permithim to step or be deposited upon a stationary landing without danger or inconvenience.

I claim as my invention:

1. A conveying apparatus comprising a series of reversible, separately-operated conveying units arranged end to end, means for starting, stopping and reversing said units independently of one another, and means for preventing; consecutive units from operating toward each other. 1

2. A conveying apparatus comprising a series of reversible, separately-operated conveying units arranpcd end to end, the supporting surfaces of consecutive units being overhu'iped atth 'r adjacent ends, means for starting, stog iping and reversing said units imilependcntly oi. one another, and means for preventing consecutive units from operating toward each other.

3. A conveying apparatus comprising a series of independent, reversible conveying units arranged end to end, each unit being n-ovided with a reversible electric motor for operatingthe same, a series of reversing switches for controlling); the operation of the respective motors, and means operative with said switches for preventing consecutive units from operating toward each other.

4. A conveying apparatus cmnprising a series of reversible, separaiely-opcrated conveying units arranged end to end, in combination with means operative with the passing of a load onto and oil each unit in either direction for starting and stopping the same.

5. A, conveying apparatus comprising a series of independent conveying units arranged end to end, each unit being provided with an electric motor for operating the same, and means operative with the passing of a load onto and oil? each unit for closing and opening the circuit through the corresponding motor,

newest ii. A conveying apparatus comprising a serles of independent, reversible conveying 'unitsarranged end to end, each unit being prowcled with a reversible electric motor for operating the same, and means operative wlth'the passing of load onto and oii each unit in either, direction for closing and opening the circuit through the correspondmg motor.

7. The combinatlon with a conveyer and means for actuating the same, of a bar extending lengthwise of said conveyor and mounted to move downward under the weight of a load deposited thereon, means for elevating said bar above the supporting surface of the conveyor, and means operative with the movements of said her for controlling the operation of said conveyer.

8. A conveying apparatus comprising a series of separately-operated conveying units arranged end to end, each unit being provided with a bar extending lengthwise thereof and mounted to move downward under the weight of a load deposited thereon, means for elevating said bars above the supporting surfaces of the respective units,

and means operative with the movements of each bar for controlling the operation of the corresponding unit.

9. The'combination with a reversible conveyer and means for actuating the same, of a bar extending lengthwise thereof and mounted to move forward in either direction and downward, means for elevating said bar above the supporting surface of the conveyor, and means operative with the movements of said bar for controlling the operation of said conveyor.

10. The combination with a conveyer and an electric motor for actuating; the same, of a bar extending lengthwise thereof and mounted to move downward under the weight of a load deposited thereon, means for elevating; said bar above the supporting surface of the conveyer, a switch controlling the circuit through said motor, and c0nnections between said bar and switch for operating the latter.

' 11. The combination with a conveyer and means for actuating the same, of a bar eX- tending lengthwise thereof and supported onthe upper ends of, parallel arms 'mount-' ed to rock in either direction, means tending to maintain said'arms in their position of maximum elevation, and means connected thereto for controlling the operation of the conveyer i i 12. The combination with a conveyer comprising sets of interleaved and laterally adjacent conveyor sections and means for actuating the same to impart a forward movement to a load supported thereon, of a bar extending lengthwise of said sections, in parallelism therewith, and mounted to move downward between said sections under n iates supporting surfaces of the respective units, and means operative with the movements of each bar for controlling the operation of the con-responding unit. 3

14. A conveying apparatus comprising a series of reversible, separately-operated conveying units arranged end to end, each unit being provided with a bar extending lengthwise thereof and mounted to move forward in either direction and downward, means for elevating said bars above the supporting surfaces of the respective units, and means operative with the movements of each bar 1" r controlling the operation of the corresponding unit;

15. A conveying apparatus comprising a series of independent conveying units arranged end to end, each unit being provided with an electric motor for operating the same and with a bar extending lengthwise of the unit and mounted to'movedownward under the weight of a load deposited thereommeans for elevating'said bars above the, supporting surfaces of the respective units, and a switch connected to each bar and arranged to control the circuit through the corresponding motor. l

,16. A conveying apparatus comprising a se 'ies of separately-operated conveying units arranged end to end, each unit being composed of sets of interleaved and laterallyadjacent conveyor sections and provided with means for cyclically actuating the same to impart a--forward movement to a load supported thereon, a, bar extending length wise of each unit and mounted to move downward between thefconveyer sections thereof, means for elevating said bars above the supporting surfaces of the respective units, and means operative with the move ments of each bar for controlling the operation of the corresponding unit.

1?. A conveying apparatuscomprising a series of independent conveying units arranged end to end, each unit being composed of setsbf interleaved and laterally-adjacent conveyer sections, and provided with means including an electric motor for cyclically actuating said sections to'impart a forward movement to a ioad supported thereon, a bar extending lengthwise of each unit and mounted to move downward between the c0nveyer sections thereof, means for elevating said bars above the supporting surfaces of the respective units, and a switch connected to each bar-aim arranged to control the circuit through the corresponding motor.

18. A conveying apparatus comprising a series of independent conveying units arranged end to end and each including, sets of interleaved and laterally-adjacent con vcver sections, both sets of sectionsin each unit being interleaved at their euds with both sets of sections in the adjacent unit or units; and means tor cyclically actuating the sets of sections to. impart a forward movement to'a load supported thereon.

1.). A conveying apparatus comprlslng ascrics of independent, rcvcrsihlc conveying units arranged end to cud and each including sets of interleaved and laterally adjacent conveyor sections. both sets of sec ions in each unit being; interleaved at their ends with both sets of sections in the adjacent unit or units, and means for cyclically actuating; the sets of sections to impart a forward movement in either direction to a load supported thereon. I

20. A conveying apparatus comprising a series of independent conveying units ar 'a'ngcd end to end and each including sets 'o'finterleaved and laterallvadjacent conveyer sections, both sets of sections in each unit being interleaved at their ends with both sets of sectionsjn the adjacent unit or units, means including a motor for each unit for cyclically actuating; the sets of sections to impart a forward movement to a load supported thereon, and means for starting and stopping any motor independently of the other motors.

21. A conveyin apparatus comprising a seriesof indepenc ent, reversible conveying units arranged end to end and each including sets of interleaved and laterallyad acent conveyer sections, both sets of sections in each unit being interleaved at their ends with both sets of sections in-the adjacent unit or'units, means including a reversible motor fol-each unit for cyclically actuating the sets of sections to impart a forward movement in either direction to a load supported thereon, and means for starting, stopping and reversing any motor independently of the other motors.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this twelfth'day of April, 190?. PIERRE LORILLARD. Witnesses:

Eanns'r "WiLEINsoN,

it. C. \VILKINs. 

